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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27759187">M is For Mechanic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/C130/pseuds/C130'>C130</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alphabet Advent Calendars [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cars (Pixar Movies), Planes (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Aid, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Repair, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:47:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27759187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/C130/pseuds/C130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In North America, the chill of winter is upon us which means it is once again time for our annual Alphabet Advent Calendar. This year's them celebrates the uphill battle that Maru faces keeping the members of his base happy and healthy. From minor booboos to at least one lightning strike, I hope this story will amuse with all the creative ways that the members of the Piston Peak's Air Attack Team managed to mung themselves up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alphabet Advent Calendars [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1187987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A is for Axle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome back readers...this the fourth year that I have done a Planes Alphabet Advent Calendar. Last December you all picked out this year's theme 'M is for Mechanic' and boy is it applicable for what we are going through at this moment in time. As a result, I am dedicating this anthology to all of the medical workers out there battling pandemic. I hope that this story can help bring a welcome distraction both to those who are on the front lines and also those who are helping to slow the spread of COVID-19 by staying home.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Going out on a quick morning ride had seemed like such a good idea at the time. It had only been Dynamite's second morning back on base and she was craving her normal routine. It was true the ground was still covered by a mixture of slushy snow and mud, but she knew the trail behind the base like the back of her own tire. So as the sun started to peek over the horizon, she headed out for a quick trail run before breakfast.</p><p>She didn’t make it far…which in many ways was a blessing because when she hit a pothole hidden by rotten snow and heard the snap the followed it meant that she actually had a chance to limp back to base. Now all Dynamite had to do was figure out how she was going to manage how she was going to make</p><p>Taking a deep breath Dynamite tried to put some more weight on her front tires. Instantly her vision was consumed by the blinding white pain, but she bit her tongue and limped back down a familiar path. What had first taken her minutes to ascend, now took her over an hour to descend and by the time she made it back to base, the morning sun was now reasonably high in the sky.</p><p>Scanning the tarmac, Dynamite was able to see at least one of the base’s residents was well into his morning routine. Maru was nursing a mug of coffee as he eyed the sky as though he was trying to gauge the sky.</p><p>“Help?” Dynamite managed to squeak out with a mixture of relief and embarrassment. Now that she had successfully made it to safety, she could allow herself to be modified by making such a simple, stupid mistake. Luckily, it seemed like the base mechanic wasn’t going to give her a hard time about it. He simply let his eyes quickly identify the area of injury and allow his training to take over.</p><p>“Let’s get you up on the lift.” Maru sighed as he set his coffee mug on the tarmac and moved to help to take some of the weight off of the ATV’s injury.</p><p>Moving into Maru’s hanger took what felt like a small eternity. Every time Dynamite’s undercarriage was bumped wrong pain was sent like a bolt of lightning through her chassis. By the time she was finally up on the lift and the mechanic could start poking around to see the extent of the damage, she had managed to attract an audience. Chief Ranger was doing what helicopters did best and practically hovered at the edge of the hanger keeping an eye on the smaller vehicles.</p><p>“Yep…” Maru grunted as he rolled out from under her. He leveled a look at Blade then looked Dynamite straight in the eyes. “You have a broken axle. I can whip something up to get you rolling around in the short term, but it will take at least two weeks to get a part in that will take the strain of off-road driving.”</p><p>Maru didn’t have to spell out what that meant. This year’s pack of potential recruits were due in just under four days and Dynamite wasn’t going to be able to properly but them through their paces.</p><p>“Why don’t you put in a call to Avalanche?” Cabbie’s voice startled everyone back into the moment. Dynamite had no clue how the old plane had managed to sneak up on them, but the Chief managed to remain completely composed.</p><p>“Go on.” Blade said with the rise of an eyebrow.</p><p>“Avalanche is the most senior member of the smokejumpers, after Dynamite, and he works for his parents during the winter so I suspect his employer might be willing to let him ditch work a couple of weeks early.”</p><p>For a moment Blade seemed to chew things over. “Alright, I think that will work.” Glancing at Dynamite he informed her, “If we can get him, Avalanche will cover the field drills, but I will expect you to still cover classroom portions of the test.” Turning to Cabbie he said, “As the communication expert on base, track down Avalanche’s details and arrange for pick up.” Finally, he looked at the mechanic, “Maru, you know the drill. I am going to need a full incident report that I can submit to the Superintendent. It won’t stop Cad from breathing down my intakes about exceeding our staffing budgets for this month, but it will at least make sure that national stays off our hoods.”</p><p>“I will get right on that after I get this bandaged up.” Maru waved a tine towards Dynamite’s undercarriage. Blade simply gave a quick bob on his tires and let the mechanic get to work patching some of the damage that Dynamite had managed to do to herself.</p>
<hr/><p><strong><em>Term-</em></strong> Axle- <em>An axle is a critical component of the of a vehicle’s drivetrain. It is a metal, often steel, rod that connects the tires to the vehicle and allows them to turn. While the configuration of axles differs between front-wheel, rear-wheel, all-wheel, two-wheel, caterpillar track, and some types of aircraft, pretty much any vehicle that moves across the ground will have at least one axle. The axle is responsible for carrying a lot of the vehicle’s weight and can stop the craft in its tracks if broken.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. B is for Burnout</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sometimes a firefighter got pushed past their breaking point, but stay because they had nowhere else to go.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t uncommon for wildfire fighting vehicles to feel like they had been pushed past their limits by September rolled around, but this year had been particularly brutal. A smokejumper injury early on had left them understaffed and an August with the National Interagency Fire Center at Preparedness Level 5 meant that the air attack members that were left spent more time outside of the park fighting fires than inside it. In short, it was the type of firefighting season that swallowed both experienced and greenhorn firefighters alike and spit them out exhausted as slag…and it was clear that it was going to be the type of fire season that was going to cost the Piston Peak’s Air Attack Base dearly.</p>
<p>“So…how many do you think will stay?” Maru broke the contemplative silence before taking a deep draw from his can of high grade.</p>
<p>“Cabbie…” Blade replied without hesitation. Even though he had only worked with the old bird for two seasons it was pretty clear he was clearly more stubborn than an oil stain. Then after a few rotor beats of thought. “The rest, who knows?” The helicopter gave a shrug of blades.</p>
<p>“I suspect the Chief will stay, too.” Maru hummed quietly to himself. “I can’t see a Cessna like him allowing a fire season like this completely roll over him, but I agree with you on the rest of them. This summer has left everyone extra crispy.”</p>
<p>“So…what is your plan?”</p>
<p>“You really have to ask?” Maru gave Blade an amused look. “I am staying…after all where would we go otherwise?” The mechanic gave a harsh chuckle. “But I will openly admit that once our contract ends October 1<sup>st</sup>, I’m going to find myself a nice sunny beach and drink myself into oblivion for at least a week.”</p>
<p>“That isn’t particularly healthy…” Blade mumbled under his breath with the venom of a curse.</p>
<p>“The saying that mechanics make the worst patients in exists for a reason.” Maru said with closed eyes, clearly imagining his reprieve. “And you are welcome to make other plans.”</p>
<p>That simply got a harrumph from Blade. As much as the helicopter might disagree with Maru’s choice in vices, he also recognized why they existed…he also knew just how careful his friend was to make sure to let Blade know that while Maru used high grade as a crutch, he was completely supportive of Blade’s efforts to remain sober.</p>
<p>Blade also knew that he would also follow Maru wherever he ended up booking their trip. The hanger roof over their heads was usually funded by whatever winter work Maru managed to snag, after all, so Blade couldn’t afford to be picky. The helicopter hoped that someday he wouldn’t have to rely on his friend to provide such basic life necessities, but ever since ‘the crash’ Blade knew that he wasn’t going to be able to make it alone.</p>
<p>“So…what is your plans for next fire season?” Maru asked with a sidelong look.</p>
<p>He got a harsh chuckle out of Blade for that. “Same as you. As you said where else would we go. I worked too hard to make myself a new life, I am not going to let a bad fire season take it from me.”</p>
<p>So with that the two vehicles sat on the tarmac surrounded by companionable silence, dwelling in the exhaustion of their burnout but finding comfort in the knowledge that winter was coming and with the snow would come an opportunity to find recharge and relief before the rhythm of a wild firefighter’s life would start again next spring.</p>
<hr/>
<p><strong>Term</strong>- Burnout- <em>Classified as a mental disorder, burnout is a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion brought on by periods of prolonged stress. Symptoms of burnout often include headaches, depression, fatigue, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues, and increased pain sensitivity. Many professions are at risk for burnout, but medical personal, soldiers, and first responders are at particular risk…especially during times of crisis. Recovery from burnout often takes a prolong periods of time and sometimes requires supplemental counseling to process the root causes of stress. </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. C is for Concussion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sometimes Uncle Cabbie was the only thing needed to make things better.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Avalanche woke the world was dark, confusing and every inch of his frame ached. Even opening his eyes caused him to want to cry out in pain, but all that managed to cross his lips was a whimper. Even though the sound had been quiet it still caused something large to shift in the darkness.</p><p>“Shhh, go back to sleep.”</p><p>“WHAT?” He spoke the only word that could possibly give shape to his confusion and fear.</p><p>“Avalanche…” As his name was spoken the red light of an aircraft’s running lights flickered on, show the little dozer that he was currently tucked safely under the great arch of Cabbie’s wing. “You were hit by a widowmaker and got a concussion. You need to sleep to help it heal.”</p><p>Avalanche sat quietly trying to process the information he had just been given, but there was one thing that his brain kept on screaming at him. “TEAM?”</p><p>“They are sleeping.” Cabbie said with the measured patience of someone who had traveled this path many, many times. “And you should be sleeping too.”</p><p>“CABBIE?” Avalanche breathed through the question.</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“MY HEAD HURTS…” Avalanche spoke with as close to he got to a whisper.</p><p>“I know…I know…” Cabbie leaned over slightly allowing more of his skin to press against Avalanche. It was an action that was instantly soothing as metal to metal contact allowed Avalanche to hear the quiet whooshing of the old plane’s pumps and the hum of his electrical systems. “Sleep and you will feel a little bit better in the morning.”</p><p>This time Avalanche didn’t argue. He let the comforting shelter of the Cabbie’s wing and the rhythmic sound of the aircraft’s systems pull him back into the depths of a dreamless sleep.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Concussion- <em>Classified as a mild traumatic brain injury, a concussion are defined by a temporary reduction in brain functioning. </em><em>The symptoms of a concussion depend on the cause, severity of the injury, and whether the injured person has received concussions in the past. Common symptoms that may occur include temporary loss of consciousness, memory loss, headache, difficulty concentration, loss of balance, nausea, blurred vision, trouble sleeping, and mood changes. While sports-related concussions are the most reported in the news, the National Fire Service indicates that over 4,000 firefighters report receiving concussions on the job every single year…15% of all firefighting related injuries. And the scare part of that statistic is that it is estimated that only 1 in every 6 concussions are ever reported.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. D is for Dentistry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The moment Drip got hit by the tree, the clock started ticking.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The yowl that Drip made when the tree thwacked him in the face was enough to stop everyone in the smokejumper team in their tracks…but it was the whimper that followed that really got Dynamite's antenna up. A member of her team was hurt while working a fire and both training and instinct clicked into place as she gunned down the hill to see what support was needed.</p><p>Coming to a skidding stop in front of Drip it was easy to see what had caused the skid steer to cry out in pain, because even though the little vehicle's mouth was clamped shut one of his teeth was laying on the ground in front of him. With a sign, Dynamite took a mental note of the time because the team had just entered a race against time. If they did the proper first aid and got Drip to Maru within an hour, there was a good chance that the tooth could be saved…if they didn’t, well, the probability that the tooth would survive dropped significantly after that.</p><p>“Drip, we need to get your tooth into water.” Dynamite stated with a level of calm that hid the rush of adrenaline that had hit her with a rush.</p><p>“It won’t fit…” Drip whimpered looked utterly dejected as he tried to force his knocked-out tooth into his canteen.</p><p>“Avalanche!”</p><p>“COMING!” The dozer thundered as crashed through the (and at least one small tree) to arrive next to Dynamite and started eyeing Drip “YES?”</p><p>“Avalanche, see if Drips tooth fits in your canteen.” Dynamite waved a tire</p><p>“IT HAS COFFEE…” Avalanche started before a look from the smokejumper captain stopped his words in their tracks.</p><p>“<em>Avalanche,</em> dump out your coffee, put the water from Drips canteen in your canteen, then see if Drips tooth fits in your canteen.”</p><p>“WILCO.” This time Avalanche didn’t argue and got to work, which gave Dynamite the opportunity to get on the horn with base.</p><p>“Maru, I have a time-critical injury inbound.” The captain called over the park’s emergency channel.</p><p><em>“Understood.”</em> The mechanic’s reply crackled over the radio. “What is the condition of the patient?”</p><p>“Drip knocked out a tooth.”</p><p>There was a slight pause on the radio than Maru spoke with obvious relief. <em>“When did the incident happen?” </em></p><p>“About 7 minutes ago?”</p><p>
  <em>“Have you been able to keep the tooth wet?” </em>
</p><p>Dynamite glanced over at Avalanche who gave her a quick nod. “We were able to fit it into Avalanche’s canteen.”</p><p><em>“I guess it will do.”</em> Maru was clearly unhappy with that little development but there wasn’t anything he from base. And at least the water in a canteen would do less damage to the tooth than leaving the root out to dry out or wrapping it up with a paper towel. <em>“Alright, you are to far out to realistically hike back in within the treatment window. I will have Blade pull Windy off the fire line to facilitate a pickup at…”</em> Maru paused clearly trying to locate a map of the park.</p><p><em>“Have them head to the Hanging Rock Trailhead for pick up.”</em> Cabbie saved everyone time by interjecting.</p><p><em>“Hanging Rock Trailhead, it is…”</em> Maru paused. <em>“Windy copy that.”</em></p><p><em>“Windlifter Copies.”</em> The Skycrane’s reply, was instantly followed by the sound of his engines going to fully power as he pulled out.</p><p>Getting Drip back to base went fairly seamlessly. Avalanche lead the smokejumper team on the fireline, while Dynamite escorted Drip to the pickup point, waited with him until Windlifter arrived, and then made sure that the canteen with the tooth was properly secured before they took off because after all of this work she wasn’t going to let Drip accidentally drop his tooth on the way back to base. Once at base, Maru was able to extract the tooth from the canteen, give it a quick clean and 38 minutes after Drip had knocked it out the mechanic was able to return the tooth to its proper spot.</p><p>“Alright…” Maru rolled back as he looked at his handy work. “I think we got it in quickly enough to save the tooth, but we will have to let an actual dentist be the final judge of that.” Drip gave the mechanic an inquisitive look which caused him to explain further. “You need a x-ray to make sure everything seated correctly, plus I suspect that some antibiotics will be involved. The mouth after all can be a nasty place to develop an injury, so Cabbie is going to fly you into town this afternoon to see an actual dentist and get everything squared away.”</p><p>Content with the answer Drip settled in for the wait because it was rapidly becoming clear that today was going to be a very, very long day.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Dentistry- <em>Dentistry is the medical profession dedicated to the care of the mouth. While practicing dentistry usually requires a degree in dentistry, medical professionals are sometimes allowed to perform some emergency procedures if the patient is in a location too remote to allow them to access a dentist in a timely enough manner…but when that happens it usually requires a trip to the dentist as quickly as it can be arranged.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. E is for Electrocution</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>He had messed up his life again...the question was, how badly.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He had woken up in hospitals often enough, that he knew where he was even if he didn’t know why he was there. The sound of medical machinery and vehicles moving on hard flooring, as well as the uncomfortable sleeping mat underneath his tires, let him know that he had messed up once again. For a few moments he sat very still, trying to figure out what he had done to get himself in this situation…but reflecting back was a complete and utter blank.</p><p>He searched his body for clues to what had landed him in the hospital this time. Sadly, all he felt was an overall feeling of numbness which was accompanied by a strange metallic taste in his mouth. Add the fact that that it felt like his thoughts were trying to move through thick, deep mud, and he started to suspect that whatever had landed himself in the hospital it probably involved a head injury of some sort. It made him wonder if his past had caught up with him again and someone had beaten him senseless.</p><p>He knew that at some point he was going to have to face the music and fact that his tire wasn’t in a boot gave him hope that perhaps whatever he had done this time injured him enough that he wasn't considered a flight risk. Finally, he gained the courage to finally open his eyes and he noticed a shadow by the side of the bed. He couldn’t help but cringe slightly. Whatever he had done to himself apparently disabled his system enough so a boot wasn’t required but was bad enough to require a cop.</p><p>His Abeala was going to kill him…he had just gotten his life properly straightened out. He had kept his nose clean enough that he had gotten into the highly competitive California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s 18-month Firefighter Training and Certification Program. He had become a real-life firefighter and had even managed to become a smokejumper…but it looked like that all had come crashing down.</p><p>“Hey…” The vehicle next to him spoke her voice thick was with concern. She rounded the sleeping mat to look him fully in the eye. “You awake now?”</p><p>“Dynamite?” He spoke through dry lips. “Why…how…I messed up…”</p><p>“True.” Dynamite shrugged as she slipped him a small tin of oil. It was low grade, but he had never tasted anything sweeter. His senior sat next to him quietly as he finished consuming. “But at least you messed up in spectacular fashion.”</p><p>“That is all I seem to be able to do…” The absolute pain on his face must have shown because Dynamite gently bumped him.</p><p>“Hey, none of use could have predicted that the wind would have pushed the tree into the powerline…nor could we have predicted that just how spectacularly everything would end up arching. Things could have gotten really bad there. Honestly, if it hadn’t had been for Avalanche’s quick thinking, we probably would have lost you, but he managed to get you out in time.”</p><p>“But…” He managed to mutter as he tried to wrap his head around what Dynamite had just told him.</p><p>“I know that the Superintendent will probably throw a hissy fit over the loss of power to the park, but neither the Captain or the Chief will stand for that. I was pretty sure that Cabbie and Maru was also ready to sit on him when Spinner started complaining about the lack of power during the evacuation.” Dynamite gave him a soft smile. “Well, I know that today has been a terrible day, but I at least have some good news for you…Cabbie picked out a proper working name for you, and if you like it we can make it official. So, what do you say, Blackout?”</p><p>He let the name roll over him, balancing the sounds on the tip of his tongue. He let it sink in and realized that it resonated in a way that his companions probably never meant. For they meant it as a reminder of when he caused an electrical blackout in the park, for him it represented the blacking out of his past and creation of a new beginning. “Blackout. Si…yes…yes, it fits.”</p><p>Dynamite relaxed at his words and gave a genuine smile. “I am glad...Well, I better call back to base and let everyone else know that you are awake.” Then she gave a wink. “Plus, you have a visitor.”</p><p>Dynamite moved over to allow a familiar face to enter the room, the old vehicle smile. “Nieto…”</p><p>At the sight of his grandmother, Blackout couldn’t stop the tears because first time in a very, very long time he could meet his abeala’s eyes without shame.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Electrocution- <em>Classified as death or severe injury caused by an electric current passing through the body. The word derives from the combination of the worlds ‘Electro’ and ‘Execution’ and was developed to describe the method of death caused by the electric chair.  The meaning of the word over time expanded to refer to any form of severe injury caused by electricity. Because of the nature of their work, Firefighters are one of the occupations most at risk of experiencing electrocution.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Trying to tease out Blackout's backstory has been a challenge, but finally settled on this one because of a wildland firefighter I have had the pleasure of teaching elementary school students with. As a kid, he got caught up in a local gang, made some very poor decisions, and landed himself in jail multiple times. While incarcerated he had the opportunity to join a fire crew and he credited that with saving his life. Because of his experience cutting firelines, he was able to qualify for firefighting training after he had served his time. He quickly became a sawyer and now leads a crew of his own. Amigo...I know that you will probably never read this but this story is dedicated to you and the work to help kids in your community find ways to escape gangs to find careers they can be proud of.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. F is for Flashbacks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A familiar scene causes Maru's past failures run spack into his present. This story is a companion piece to the A is for AWOL chapter in Q is for Quarantine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the smell that had been the last straw…Maru had been able to keep himself focused on the tasks in front of him until he had been hit by smell of burning plastic and melting metal. He had been able to bare the heat rolling off the burning tanker and stay focused on stabilizing the helicopter in front of him. He was tines deep in Blade’s side, when the full impact of the smell hit him, and he realized that the tanker that had just exploded must have been transporting aviation fuel…</p><p>Maru swore, and it was suddenly as though he was in two places at once. He could clearly see Blade in front of him, knocked unconscious, paint marred by the scorch marks of the explosion that had snatched him from the skies as he had been coming in for a landing. He could see the patient in front of him…but his mind was also a decade away, at another crash site, tines deep in friend that was too far gone for him to save.</p><p>The mechanic desperately wanted to scream as flashback rolled over him, but he managed to keep just enough control to be able to focus on which reality was the present emergency. He breathed as he focused on his training to do just enough to keep Blade stable, just to keep him alive, before he started the next step of triage. He was the only mechanic on-site, if he broke now more life could be lost.</p><p>Clinging onto whatever strength of will he had left; Maru continued his herculean task of responding to the aftermath of a tanker explosion alone. The smokejumpers had done a good job of pushing the civilians back away from the worst blast, but it a consequence of this was that the smokejumpers had taken the worst of the blast’s force. The shrapnel damage alone would be a nightmare to repair but Maru didn’t have the ability to focus on that right now. His vision was fading on the edges as the flashback of that fateful crash all those years ago threatened to become his only reality.</p><p>“MARU?” Avalanche’s voice was hoarse, and the mechanic could tell that it hurt the little dozer to speak, but it was also filled with concern. Maru breathed and tried to force his eyes to focus enough to allow him to make eye contact. “YOU OKAY?”</p><p>Maru sat stunned for a couple of rotor beats, then decided that honesty was probably the best policy. “No, I’m not, but we don’t have time to deal with that at the moment. What is hurting?”</p><p>Avalanche’s wheezing chuckle at least indicated to Maru that he wasn’t dying, though given that the explosion had managed to knock him clean on to his side, he must be hurting pretty bad. “I SUSPECT I AM IN GOOD SHAPE COMPARED WITH THE OTHERS. I WAS ABLE TO GET MY BLADE UP WHEN THE TANKER BLEW AND IT TOOK WORST PART OF THE FORCE. PINECONE AND DRIP WERE THE CLOSEST TO THE EXPLOSION AND I KNOW THAT DRIP TOOK IT BROADSIDE, SO YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CHECK ON THOSE TWO FIRST.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Maru breathed, knowing that the words couldn’t possibly communicate the gratitude that the mechanic felt at that moment. The ghostly of smoke from a long-charred helicopter was now following him around, and he had desperately needed some clear instructions to help him navigate through it.</p><p>Drip and Pinecone were, in fact, in worse shape than Avalanche, but were also in better condition than Blade. This fact allowed Maru to perform basic first aid and meticulously patch what needed to be patched. It was not medical care that was up to his normal standards, but with his vision being swallowed by memory and the disorienting feeling of his consciousness being split into it was all he could manage.</p><p>When Hector, the mechanic from the road crew, and a couple of ambulances from the community finally arrived, Maru's mind was barely running on one cylinder. It took every last fiber of his focus to be able to pass on the necessary medical information to his replacements…then he did something he never thought he would ever do…he fled an active medical emergency.</p><p>The guilt he felt at leaving, was rapidly eclipsed by the utter terror he felt as his flashback began to eat away at the last shreds of his ability to observe his surroundings. He needed to go to ground somewhere safe, somewhere where his ghost couldn’t harm him or anyone else. Luckily, Maru knew a place that would fit the bill…a road crew hut that was used to store winter equipment. Slipping inside Maru felt a deep sense of relief as he allowed the door to creak shut behind him.</p><p>Alone, Maru finally allowed himself to break. He allowed the flashback to consume every fiber of his being as he let himself process the fire that haunted so many of his nightmares. As his last conscious thoughts of the present faded, he couldn’t help but reflect how fitting it was that his mind had chosen to ghost of Nick Loopin Lopez to be the vehicle to finally break him. It was, after all, August 6<sup>th</sup>…the anniversary of Maru’s greatest failure as a mechanic…the anniversary of the day Nick had died in a configuration of flames just outside of Maru’s reach…</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Flashbacks- <em>Flashbacks are involuntary recurring memories. They are usually connected with an emotionally powerful experience from the past. Though they can be connected with any emotion, flashbacks are particularly debilitating for when they are connected to negative emotions such as fear, anger, panic, or grief. While in a flashback the person ‘relives’ the past moment so intensely that are unable to fully process the fact that the event is not happening in real-time. In some cases, it may be overlayed over the real-time sensory input causing the individual to experience both events in parallel. In other cases, the flashback may so overwhelm the individual that it is the only thing they are experiencing. Common triggers for flashbacks include smells and sounds, though some people can also be triggered by imagines or by returning to the location of the initial incident.</em></p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. G is for Gangs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A rainy day gives the smokejumpers a chance to share the stories of why they chose to become firefighters.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The park had been trapped in a perpetual drizzle for days, which of course had left the smokejumpers in an equally perpetual state of boredom. The rain met that everything there wasn’t a single fire in their near future, but the rain also wasn’t heavy enough to produce any landslides to clean up. But the absolute worst part, was things were just soggy enough to prevent them from doing trail work.</p><p>With the smokejumpers getting more and more restless, the Chief finally kicked them off base to practice bivouacking off base. Punted to a far-flung corner of the park, Dynamite and her crew quickly found a comfortable spot beneath the pines. Once the tent was set up and marshmallows were roasting on the camp stove, the smokejumpers turned their attention to the most important task on hand…asking each other random questions. From their favorite color to the best movie they had ever seen, they took turns asking…until one particular question caused all the members of the team to stop and reflect for a moment.</p><p>“So…I am curious, what inspired everyone to become a firefighter?” Drip threw his question into a ring.</p><p>“I DECIDED TO BECOME A SMOKEJUMPER AT ABOUT 5,000 FEET.” Avalanche announced with a wide grin on his face. “MY FIRST WINTER AT PISTON PEAK, I WAS WORKING ROAD CREW AND GOT CAUGHT IN AN AVALANCHE. I ALMOST DIED, BUT THE CHIEF, MARU, AND CABBIE ENDED UP RESCUING ME. WHEN I WOKE UP IN CABBIE DURING MY EVACUATION FLIGHT I REALIZED THAT WHILE I LOVED WORKING IN NATIONAL PARK AS PART OF A ROAD CREW, I ALSO WANTED TO HAVE A JOB WHERE I COULD HELP KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. SO, I QUIT ROAD CREW WORK WHEN MY CONTRACT WAS UP AND TRAINED TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER AND EVENTUALLY WORK MY WAY UP TO BECOMING A SMOKEJUMPER. LUCKILY THAT HARD WORK paid OFF AND EVERYONE WAS WILLING TO GIVE A DOZER LIKE ME A CHANCE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE TEAM.” After a pause, he turned to Dynamite. “SO, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO JOIN UP?”</p><p>Dynamite actually giggled in delight. “I was interested in firefighting from a very young age, but was a high school counselor that was the last straw that told me that it was the only career path for me.”</p><p>“Do tell.” Pinecone said with a wink.</p><p>“Basically, I spent all high school with a school counselor who thought was clearly too much of a tomboy for my own good. As I was getting ready to apply to training programs she sat me down and informed me that I was the wrong make and model to become a firefighter…” a mysterious grin spread across Dynamite’s face, “and then she told me that no proper lady would consider making that career choice. So, I point blank told her that if being a ‘lady’ meant giving up on my goals and dreams, I was pretty sure that being a ‘lady’ was overrated.”</p><p>“And what happened next?” Drip said, a marshmallow halfway to his mouth.</p><p>“She called in my parents and tried to convince them that I was trying to throw my life away.” Then she paused for dramatic effect.</p><p>“AND?”</p><p>“And, my parents had been concerned about my career choice, but after going bumper to bumper with school counselor they were solidly on my side. By the end of the day I was enrolled in the summer firefighting training program at the local community college.”</p><p>“Now that is was a story…” Pinecone said with a look of delight, then a look of embarrassment flickered across her face. “My story wasn’t nearly as dramatic…basically, I am here because I needed a job that would take me far from home and firefighting was available when I needed it. How about you Drip?”</p><p>“Grew up with it.” Drip grinned at his fellow smokejumpers. “My dad, two of my brothers, and a couple of my uncles all are all on fire crews so growing up I knew it was something I wanted to do, too. And I guess that leaves Blackout…why did you decided to become a firefighter?”</p><p>Drip had asked the question with complete innocence, but Blackout found his mouth instantly drying up. His teammates had just spent the day being so open, but he wasn’t sure that he was ready to do the same.</p><p>“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Dynamite said with complete and utter kindness…and it only made Blackout feel more guilty about not pouring out his story to his fellows. Finally, the guilt won and start to speak.</p><p>“Si tuviera que elegir un momento…” Blackout muttered not looking his fellow smokejumpers in the eyes, “…it was when my brother died and my Abeala was hurt. I didn’t grow up on the good side of town. I never met my padre and my mama was always in and out of trouble. I was raised by my abeala. She worked her bumper off making sure that my brother and I had everything we needed, but as a kid I was so estupido. I turned away from the one person in my life that really loved and cared for me, and I followed older hermano into the local gang instead. From middle school, my decisions got me tossed in and out of jail for petty and stupid crimes. By the time I was 18 I had completely dropped out of school and was serving a 5-year term the lockup…” Blackout took a very deep breath. “While I was still behind bars a competing gang shot up my home. My hermano died on the seen and I nearly lost my Abeala forever and at that moment I knew that I could never go home again. That if I returned I would only put the only person I loved in mortal danger, so I signed up for the most dangerous job I could take while incarcerated and became an inmate firefighter…and eventually that choice led me here.”</p><p>As Blackout’s words trailed into silence, he finally got the courage to look his fellow smokejumpers in their eyes. There were many things that he expected to see there…but none of the judgment or pity he expected was in the eyes of the team. Instead, he felt a strong feeling of acceptance. His fellow firefighters had seen how difficult it was for him to finally share his story, his past, and they accepted him completely.</p><p>“Alright…let’s move on to the next question.” Dynamite finally filled the silence. “What is the best meal on earth?”</p><p>“Oh, that one is facil.” Blackout grinned. “The best food on earth is clearly my Abeala’s tamales.”</p><p>The conversation continued long into the night with each of the smokejumpers taking turns asking and answering questions about themselves. As the night Blackout continued to relax. Even though he was incredibly ashamed of his past, he now knew that none of his fellows would judge him harshly for that. With that knowledge it allowed him to focus on the next task before him…figuring out how to sneak his grandmother on base so that all his team could eat the best food on the planet.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Gangs- <em>The word ‘gang’ historically meant a group of people, but in the United States it has a strong connection with criminal activity. The connection with the drug trade, gun running, community violence, and sexual violence is widespread. Sadly, many gangs actively recruit high school, middle school, and sometimes even elementary school children. Leaving a gang can be a dangerous process as it often opens the person leaving open to attack from the members of their former gang, as well as, the members of other gangs.</em></p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. H is for Hallucination</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An unexpected emergency leaves Windlifter as high as a kite.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“…and so he climbed the mountain, this time being very careful to avoid the potholes…”</p><p>Windlifter spoke in his long-winded storytelling voice. Which wouldn’t have been too out of the ordinary if he hadn’t been telling this tale to a wall for five hours straight. Honestly, Blade was pretty convinced that his lieutenant’s droning was going to drive him completely mad by the end of the evening, but it was also clear that the Skycrane wasn’t in a condition where he could safely be left alone.</p><p>“…as soon as he made it to the top he discovered that while he had successfully climbed the mountain, it was the wrong mountain…”</p><p>The day’s events had started innocently enough. A small fire had begun in the National Forest adjoining the park. The air attack team had been called in in the hopes that they would be able to contain and put out the fire before it had a chance to spread into a nearby ski resort. Blade’s initial assessment of the fire had been promising and he identified a clearing on the leading edge of the fire that could easily be connect to a nearby timber road to provide a fire break. He ordered Cabbie to place the smokejumpers in the clearing…and that is when things hit the fan.</p><p>“…he moved down the mountain at a very high rate of speed…”</p><p>On the edge of the clearing, camouflaged under the arch of trees the smokejumpers discovered that this particular area was being used for illegal activities…primarily the production of drugs. Dynamite rarely swore like a navel vessel over the radio, but the scope of the equipment that the smokejumpers had stumbled upon was enough to get the ATV to curse the sky blue. That said, she also got her people to bend their blades into stopping the fire in its tracks because if this site burned it would not only burn the evidence of a crime of federal lands, but it would also release a whole lot of dangerous chemicals into the air.</p><p>“…once at the bottom of the mountain, he started to seek for the correct mountain to climb…”</p><p>The smokejumpers had fought valiantly and air attack team and poured as much retardant as they could on the approaching flames, but they were not match for a wildfire being pushed across the mountain by the wind. In the end, Dynamite had been forced to backburn the meadow and have her people shake and bake. They weathered the fire without incident…but once they did, it rapidly became apparent that whatever the drug lab had been processing, it was a whole lot stronger than weed.</p><p>“…and so he climbed the mountain, this time being very careful to avoid the potholes…”</p><p>There was no way of knowing which drugs or how badly the smokejumpers had been dosed, but it was slagging clear that it wasn’t safe to keep them in a half-burned out meadow. So, Blade had pulled Windlifter to perform an emergency pick up. The first two pickups had gone fairly smoothly, all things considering. While the smokejumpers were clearly losing all track of reality, hundreds of hours of training allowed them to successfully comply with the steps of the emergency evacuation. On the third pickup, though, it became clear that Windlifter had also been dosed and by the fourth and final load, Blade had had to follow him in and grab Dynamite because Windlifter was clearly unsafe to fly.</p><p>“…as soon as he made it to the top he discovered that while he had successfully climbed the mountain, it was the wrong mountain…”</p><p>Blade had practically remained glued to Windlifter’s side as he returned to base that final time, and honestly it was a minor miracle that they had all made it in one piece. Maru had taken over once their tires had kissed the tarmac. The mechanic was fully suited up and immediately started the process of giving Windlifter and Avalanche a proper decontamination shower. Once he was satisfied that they were cleaned, Maru had turned his sprayer on Blade and Dynamite to get them clean as well. It had not been a comfortable shower. The water was cold and filled with cleaning materials, and getting Dynamite to hold still long enough to get clean had taken more energy than Blade was willing to admit.</p><p>“…he moved down the mountain at a very high rate of speed…”</p><p>Maru had taken samples both for criminal evidence and to help the mechanic try to figure out what Windlifter and the Smokejumpers had been dosed with…in reality, all that the Air Attack team could do was keep an eye on their ‘high’ members to make sure that they stayed safe while they tripped. Which is how Bladed ended up in Windlifter’s hanger watching the helicopter telling and endlessly looping story to his hanger wall.</p><p>“…once at the bottom of the mountain, he started to seek for the correct mountain to climb…”</p><p>“Maru, how much longer is this going to last?” Blade tried to keep the whine out of his voice when the mechanic swung by the hanger to check on Windlifter’s vital signs and give Blade a fresh mug on coffee.</p><p>The mechanic shrugged. "I still have no clue what he was exposed to so your guess is as good as mine."</p><p>“I don’t know how much more of this I can stand.” Blade groaned as he downed half of his coffee in one gulp.</p><p>“If you want to swap, I am sure that Cabbie would be more than willing to keep an eye on Windy, if you took over riding herd the smokejumpers.” Maru said with a smirk and Blade couldn’t help but shutter. Windlifter’s monolog might have been nearly unbearable, but he at least was having a hallucination that kept him in one place. The last time he had seen the smokejumpers, on the other tine, they were convinced that that the base had been infested by giant, glowing purple deere and had taken it upon themselves to solve the problem by trying to feed their hallucinations marshmallows.</p><p>“I think I will stick with Windlifter.”</p><p>“Smart choice.” Maru chuckled, before heading back out into the evening to check on Cabbie and his basketful of jumpers.</p><p>“…and so he climbed the mountain, this time being very careful to avoid the potholes…”</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Hallucination- <em>Hallucinations happen when someone perceives a sensory input without that input actually existing. Even though auditory and visual hallucinations tend to capture most of the attention, hallucinations can affect any of the body’s senses. Common causes for hallucinations include neurological illnesses, sensory deprivation, and drugs.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So...if anyone is bored, I will admit I would be highly entertained to see a short about the smokejumpers' perspective on this whole situation. XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. I is for Icing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dipper wanted to be somewhere else...but mother nature had other plans.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was nothing quite as relaxing as the feeling of being cradled by warm water, the waves gently rocking you to sleep. It was the reason that Dipper had proudly taken a job in the Caribbean during her off season. Just the knowledge that she was soon going to be flying over white beaches and gliding in to land on turquoise waters gave her the mental fortitude to face the rapidly cooling temperatures that hit Piston Peaks National Park during the shoulder season.</p><p>By the time September arrived, Dipper was practically bouncing on her tires, counting down the days when she could finally fly the coop and head to a place without frost. The night of September 31<sup>st</sup> always kind of felt like Christmas because she knew it meant she was going to embark on a journey the following morning…but sometimes the weather had other plans for her. Starring at the sky on this October 1<sup>st</sup>, Dipper could feel her excitement deflate. The air was filled with a wet sleet which clearly spoke of colder air farther aloft. In short, it was clearly the perfect conditions for aviation icing.</p><p>It took everything in the plane’s power to pout. She was looking forward to her winter on the beach and now that wonderful water and sand was going to have to wait just a little bit longer for her to finally get there to enjoy it.</p><p>“The storm will pass soon and the skies will be clear in about two hours.” It was Cabbie who broke her pity party. “Why don’t you join Maru and I for a last cup of coffee while you wait.”</p><p>It was sleeting, Dipper was miserable, and coffee did sound like a good idea. When she rolled into the hanger she realized that Blackout had even left them with some cinnamon rolls that Maru had rewarmed in the oven. The gooey goodness finally allowed the flying boat to let go of her frustration and enjoy the moment. Yes, Dipper desperately wanted to be winging her way to warmer weather, but if mother nature insisted on throwing a monkey wrench into her plans she couldn’t think of any vehicles she would rather spend that delay with.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Icing- <em>Aircraft icing is one of the most dangerous, easily preventable aviation hazard. It is credited with causing more fatal accidents than any other single hazard. Icing occurs when an aircraft comes into contact with supercooled water and that water sticks to the frame of the aircraft. The ice that forms on the aircraft increases the planes weight, decreases its lift, and significantly alters the aircraft’s stall speed. While some aircraft (think Cabbie) have been specially designed to withstand icing conditions, most general aviation aircraft do not have ice prevention systems. For aircraft without ice prevention systems, avoidance of icing conditions is critical.</em></p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. J is for Jet Lag</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Maru suspected something was up the moment he tasted the coffee...the presence of the paparazzi confirmed his suspicions.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first hint for Maru that something was up on base was when Maru tasted the coffee. Normally at this time of year the first pot of coffee should be one of Blade’s somewhat bland brew, but instead it was Cabbie’s rather distinct, burnt as slag military version. The fact that Cabbie came in for a landing a few minutes later only added to Maru’s suspicious that something was afoot. Blade was rather found of his morning patrols and only gave them up he was feeling ill…or something else managed to distract him.</p><p>The mechanic was wondering if he needed to go and check up on the big bird when a new piece of information clicked pieces together. This piece was the startled cry of a civilian being startled by a smokejumper sneaking up behind them. When Maru got a good look at the ‘park visitor’ it was instantly clear that they were a member of the paparazzi…which could only mean one thing, Dusty Crophopper was currently parked somewhere on base.</p><p>Cabbie, of course, chose that moment to join Maru on the tarmac with a fresh cup of coffee. With a yawn he nodded towards their ‘visitor’ who was quickly being escorted back down to the main road. “It never ceases to amaze me just how quickly those vultures know when Dusty is on base.”</p><p>“At least, it keeps smokejumpers happy.” Maru said, which caused the big plane to snort into his coffee. “What time did he get in this time?”</p><p>“O’dark thirty.” Cabbie yawned again. “He only radioed that he was inbound at 11:30 pm, and he was lucky that Blade was up doing paperwork or there wouldn’t have been anyone on base awake to answer him.”</p><p>“What time did you hit the hay?” Maru eyed his teammate.</p><p>“I didn’t.” This time Cabbie gave a big enough yawn that it shook his entire frame. “It was past 3 when Blade and I finally got Dusty feed and stuffed in the guest hanger. I volunteered to stay up and take care of the morning duties so Blade could actually get some sleep, because you know how he is when he is sleep deprived.”</p><p>Maru gave some affirmative noises. He had worked with Blade long enough to know that he grumpy as slag when he didn’t get enough sleep. Given the fact that whenever Dusty showed up, either for his annual firefighting certification tests or as a quick stop over when he was heading from one race to another one, the paparazzi usually were quick to follow a well-rested Blade was must.</p><p>“Before you ask, baring any fires, I am planning on getting a proper nap in this afternoon.”</p><p>“Good.” Maru stated flatly. He really preferred to keep his team well rested, but sometimes the universe didn’t allow for that and out of any of the flight crew, Maru trusted Cabbie to know his own limits. After all, the old warplane would have been dead by now if he hadn’t.</p><p>The rest of the day flowed past about how you would expect. There were no fires, so the smokejumper got to enjoy their mission of seek and scare. Blade slept in until noon and tapped Cabbie out so that he could snooze the afternoon away. Then, as the sky started to turn from blue to the dusty purple of sunset Dusty finally dragged himself from the spare hanger.</p><p>“Morning…evening…whatever it is…” The racer muttered to Maru as he made a beeline to the coffee.</p><p>“So where were you this time?”</p><p>“Thailand.”</p><p>“Did you win?”</p><p>“Of course.” Dusty actually was awake enough to smirk back. “Do you think there would be much competition?”</p><p>“A broken clock is still correct at least twice a day.” Maru laughed.</p><p>“That is true, but I am still on top of my game.” Dusty grinned then gave his wings a shake. “But I still have a long way to go so I better tank up and get on my way.”</p><p>Maru obliged and once he was fueled the members of the Piston Peaks Air Attack Team saw the little plane off. As Dusty took to the sky heading east, Maru got back to his evening routine, because even as the plane disappeared over the horizon, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he made his way back. Dusty had become an odd third wheel to the Air Attack team, but like any other long-distance flyer he had good homing instincts for places he considered to be home. Still, as much as Maru had grown to like the plane, outside of an emergency he wasn’t worth messing up the mechanic’s sleep schedule and getting jet lag over.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Jet Lag- <em>Jet lag is a condition caused by rapid travel long distant travel from east to west or from west to east. This travel causes the person’s circadian rhythms to be stuck in their original time zone while they are living in a completely different time zone. The farther the distance and the faster the aircraft the more severe the symptoms tend to be. For long haul pilots, jet lag is a fact of life and local time zones are often completely ignored. Instead, they sleep and eat when their work allows it.</em></p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. K is for Kilocalories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Patch would finally complete this paperwork...as long as her fellow vehicles stopped interrupting her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So…what are you doing?” Drip rolled up clearly curious about what Patch was currently working on. Patch for her part, showed a massive amount of self-control by not throwing the clipboard she was scribbling on across the room in frustration.</p><p>She took a deep breath before putting on her best customer service smile. “I am working on putting together the base food order.”</p><p>“It doesn’t have marshmallows on the list.” Drip pointed out like he was presenting her with a very important piece of information. “We are almost out of marshmallows and need more.”</p><p>“We don’t have enough money in the budget to buy marshmallows this order.” Patch sighed. To say that the food order was one of her least favorite parts of her job would be an extreme understatement, but everyone on base had at least one or two ‘other duties as assigned’ to attend to, so she did her best to make the best of it…not that that her fellow base inhabitants always agreed with her food choices.</p><p>“I still think we need marshmallows.” Drip pouted before he rolled off to leave Patch to start back to the work of figuring out how to properly feed the entire team while working within the limitations of their transportation system and most of all stuck within their paltry budget. She scribbled in a few more columns doing math as she went.</p><p>“HM…” Avalanche mumbled has he looked over her tines at the order sheets she was completing.</p><p>“Avalanche?”</p><p>“YES?”</p><p>“Don’t…just don’t.” Patch signed and luckily Avalanche got the point and left her alone….which only caused Patch to redouble her efforts to get things done, because who knew who would be the next vehicle to interrupt her work.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Kilocalorie- <em>Though the labels on your food say calories, the number usually represents the number of Kilocalories in the food. This number represents the amount of energy it takes to heat 1 kg of water by 1 degree C. If consumed, calories help provide the fuel that allows the body to do work. When doing extreme field work, such as wildland firefighting, it is important to make sure that all members of the unit have access to enough calories in their diet because it can cause severe weight loss or injury if you don’t.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the delays in posting...I at least have good news though. I managed to catch strep throat instead of COVID-19 as was originally feared. My fingers are crossed that once the antibiotics kick in I will start feeling a whole lot better. To get us back on track I will be posting two stories a day instead of one this weekend.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. L is for Lightning Strike</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cabbie gets zapped</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a reason why Cabbie would always say that outside of war, planes should never fly through thunderstorms. While larger commercial planes could technically withstand this type of storm, the shearing winds and violent turbulents were enough to tear the wings and tails off of smaller aircraft. Then there was the risk of a lightning strike, which unless the aircraft’s electrical systems were specifically hardened, could cause nasty burns up and down their systems.</p><p>It was because of all the risks that thunderstorms could pose to aircraft, that Cabbie always insisted on being the last aircraft in the air while a squall approached. He had witnessed friends being taken down by the Mother Nature’s fury, and the old plane was unwilling to see civilian aircraft suffer the same fate. Today, he had managed his task, every aircraft within his airspace was either safely on the ground or successfully diverted around the storm. Now, the only task left was to get his old frame safely on the ground. So, he turned his nose towards home and opened his mouth to let the tower know he was coming in, unfortunately, this was the moment his luck ran out…</p><p>The world around him exploded into a vortex of deafening light and blinding sound. A molten force of pure energy wrapped itself around his frame, causing every inch of his metal skin to tingle with an electrical charge. Then as quickly as the electricity wrapped itself around him, it was gone. Leaving him hanging in the air, too stunned to keep himself from being bounced along with the worst of the coming storm’s turbulent.</p><p>“Patch, I just got hit by lightning and I am coming in hot.” Cabbie snapped over park’s emergency frequency the moment that his brain finally kicked back into gear. He heard nothing in reply, not even the slightest crackle on the airwaves. A prickle of panic started to bubble up as Cabbie switched frequencies to speak to the tower specifically. “Patch?”</p><p>The radio once again remained silent and Cabbie allowed himself to let out a string of swear words, in a host of different languages. Taking deep breaths, tried to ignore the smarting burn across his back and wing.</p><p>“Can anyone hear me?” Cabbie asked into the void and when he didn’t get an answer. He took a deep breath. “I appear to be suffering from a radio failure. If anyone can hear me, I currently am not receiving transmissions, I was hit by lightning, and will be making an emergency landing at the Piston Peak Air Attack Base.”</p><p>Then he squared his wings and lined himself up for an approach. The storm was nearly on top of him and if he didn’t get on the ground now he would be force to divert to another airstrip…a proposition that was made all the more nerve-wracking by his inability to communicate with the outside world.</p><p>Coming in for final Cabbie kept his eyes scanning the tower and the ground. It was possible that his teammates would try some alternative methods of communication, such as a light gun, to talk with him, but the tarmac was dark and clear. In many ways it was a comforting sight. He knew this tarmac like the back of his tires, which was a very, very good thing because even though Cabbie wasn’t exactly sure what type of damage the lightning strike had done, he could sense that the radio was the least of his problems.</p><p>Swallowing hard he forced himself settle his tanks and focus completely on the stretch of asphalt in front of him. Wheels down he landed with a thud far heavier than his normal approach would lead to, but that didn’t matter. He was on the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut and let go of a long shaking breath that he hadn’t realized that he had been holding.</p><p>It was at this moment that the sky decided to open up and pour out an endless sheet of water. The cold, pelting rain struck painfully across the burn mark on Cabbie’s back causing his eyes to open in reflex and he bit back a whimper. He was greeted by the sight of several of his fellow air attack teammates sitting on the tarmac in the rain eyeing him from a cautious distance.</p><p>“Well, that landing could have gone better.” Cabbie half groaned as he settled a little lower on his tires.</p><p>They were not particularly powerful words, but they were enough to break the spell that seem to keep the vehicles surrounding him rooted to the pavement. Maru was the first to make a move. He cycled the old plane, ignoring the rain and making a sucking sound through his teeth, clearly unhappy with damage that he was seeing.</p><p>“Avalanche, Blackout, I have to ground Cabbie before I can work on him. Can you to string one of the drag chains across the tarmac about four feet off the ground. I don’t care how you keep it up, I just need you to make sure that both ends of the chain are touching the ground.”</p><p>“WILCO.” Avalanche’s voice echoed across the tarmac even louder than sound crashes of thunder as he practically dragged Blackout towards one of the storage sheds.</p><p>“Pinecone, would you go talk with Patch? Let her know that Pulaski can stand down.” At the mechanic’s instruction that rake headed off to the tower, which allowed Maru to turn his attention to Dynamite. “Dynamite, go give the aircraft an update about the situation before Blade wears a hole in his hanger floor.”</p><p>With a bob on her tires Dynamite headed off towards the hangers leaving the mechanic and one last smokejumper purposely sitting several meters away electrified plane.</p><p>“What about me?” Drip asked with full-on puppy dog eyes.</p><p>“You are going to go start a pot of coffee,” Maru waved a tine in the direction of the main hanger, “because I suspect that once we get Cabbie deenergized, I am going to have a very, very long day.”</p><p>Cabbie didn’t bother hiding his groan this time as a particularly intense stream of rain swept across him and Maru at least was kind enough to acknowledge old plane’s discomfort.</p><p>“As soon as your charge is neutralized, we will get you warm, dry, and on pain meds in the main hanger.” Then slight look of annoyance twitched at the edges of Maru’s lips. “That said, Cabbie, please say that this lightning strike has finally knocked some sense into you, because I am kind of getting tired of dealing with this type of injury every 2 to 3 years.”</p><p>Cabbie didn’t have to bother replying. Getting struck by lightning sucked slag, but both vehicles knew that Cabbie’s thick metal skin and heavy build made him particularly resistant to the worst types of lightning strike injury. If any member of the air attack team was going to stay out to shepherd, the public to safety…Cabbie was going to be the one who would do it.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Lightning Strike- <em>Aircraft Lightning strikes are a lot more common than most would assume, in fact, commercial airplanes get hit by an average of one lightning strike per year. Due to the frequency of lightning hitting commercial aircraft they have been specifically designed to minimize the damage of the hit. The track record of lightning strikes in general aviation is more complicated. The small, general aviation aircraft have less metal and fly at lower altitudes which drastically decreases the probability of lightning hitting them, but these planes are far more likely to experience catastrophic damage if they are hit. Luckily, general aviation aircraft often have the ability to divert around a storm or simply weather the storm out on the ground. The final category of aircraft to bring up is helicopters. Helicopters and lightning are a very, very bad mix. From frying the electrical systems to causing parts of the rotors to explode, it is best to avoid being in the sky when thunderheads are billowing on the horizon.</em></p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. M is for Mechanic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Maru reflects on the path that brought him to this moment.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As long as far back as Maru could remember he had been obsessed with the movies. As soon as he could talk he would drag his siblings into participating into mock movies that they would act out in front of cardboard cameras. Going into school Maru had been convinced that he was going to be a movie star…but that was a dream that had been quickly dashed for the little tug had nether the build nor the voice for the movies. In fact, he didn’t even have the voice for radio. Try as he might, he couldn’t manage to get more than a pity part in the school plays, and at times, even those had been given grudgingly.</p><p>His parents had been kind, but firm. It was fine to have acting as a hobby when he was in middle school, but once he was in high school it had been time to buckle down and actually focus getting the skills that a tug would need to survive in a world that was built for far larger vehicles. They had nudged him towards food service because he had a number of family members with highly successful restaurants that would mentor him in the kitchen, but Maru still couldn’t give his dream to give up on the movies.</p><p>So, he changed his focus, if he couldn’t be the leading man or even an extra, Maru would choose a career that would but him at the center of the action. He would become the one vehicle on the lot that had even more power than the director…Maru would become a mechanic.</p><p>Getting certified has been brutal. To pay for his tuition he bussed tables during the breakfast and lunch shifts at his cousin’s restaurant, then spent the evenings pounding through classes at the local community college. The only true bright spot in the struggle was the fact he lived in California, a state known for the silver screen, and community college also offered classes in stage craft. Maru often found himself sneaking into the back of film theory classes on his precious days off and outright signing up special effect courses.</p><p>The fact that he kept hanging around the film school was not lost on the faculty nor the students and he was rapidly using his skills to jury-rig inexpensive solution for student films on the side. His work on student films was what finally got him his first break, when one of the films he worked on made it to the Sundance Film Festival. One of the TV executives had been impressed with his creative retrofitting and offered him a job upon graduation.</p><p>Maru had worked his way up from there. On every single shoot he increased his skills and collected more certifications. He became as comfortable working on the rotor of a helicopter as he was replacing the timing belt in a car, all as he created new ways to simulate injury and illness on the screen. Soon he didn’t even bother using store bought parts and just started manufacturing everything he needed from scratch.</p><p>His reputation of being able to make things ‘better than new’ eventually landed to top mechanic’s position on a nationally syndicated TV show and Maru was convinced he was about to finally make the jump to movies…then his dream disappeared in a fiery explosion on the filming lot.</p><p>Maru hadn’t known if he was going to be able to go to work after that…not after he had failed a friend that badly. Plus, he had a second friend that needed him to be an anchor, so he didn’t go try to fly straight into the ground. So, Maru pivoted once again, he went back to school and left with the certs to work as part of a wildland firefighting team.</p><p>His new career had pushed his limits. There was not a new part to be found. In fact, most of the time Maru was had to repurpose things that had long passed their normal operational life. Luckily, there was a lot in common with being a mechanic on a film lot and a mechanic on the fire line…and while Maru missed his endless budget he wouldn’t trade the family of firefighters he had gained.</p><p>“Penny for your thoughts?” Blade was giving Maru a look that told him that the tug had been staring into space for far longer than the helicopter was comfortable with.</p><p>Maru gave a soft, somewhat mournful smile. “I was just thinking of how the universe takes you on a path that leads you exactly where you need to be.”</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Mechanic- <em>A person who repairs and modifies machines and motors. Mechanics are considered to be both artisans and skilled tradesmen requiring schooling and experience to properly diagnose and repair a wide variety of mechanical problems. </em></p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. N is for Naturopath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Windlifter goes forest bathing.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sometimes being a firefighter was the most exhilarating job on earth…sometimes it was among the most heart wrenching. On days when the Piston Peaks Air Attack Team did everything they could, and still failed each and every team member had a different way to recenter themselves so that they could move on.</p><p>For Chief it was paperwork. After a really bad burn, the helicopter always seemed to find his way to his hanger and start pouring all of his emotions into the large stack of paperwork required to record the event. The worse the event, the more times he would do and redo the forms.</p><p>For Cabbie it was the skies. If the mission went wrong the old plane would find ever excuse possible to put distance between himself in the ground. It didn’t matter if it was an extra patrol or a supply run. If his fellow firefighters didn’t need him as their emotional support aircraft to process the event, than he was always to deal with a problem by putting as much space between he and it as possible.</p><p>Dipper coped by reading trashy fanfictions. Blackout fled to the kitchen and baked his way through the funk. Avalanche listened to music full blast while Drip tended to sleep it off. Dynamite and Patch both preferred to talk their way out of their grief and anger, while Maru found his answers in the bottom of a canister of high grade…and Windlifter, Windlifter used rituals to get him through the bad days.</p><p>The last couple of days had been particularly taxing on the team. They had fought a fire only for the fire to win. The flames had swept over a town in the middle of the night…there hadn’t been time to evacuate everyone…there wasn’t anything left of the town. The entire Piston Peaks Air Attack team hadn’t even had the chance to help locate and care for the remains of the dead because the fire was still burning hot and there were additional communities in danger.</p><p>So, when the fire was out and the Air Attack Team finally had time to process what had happened in the safety of their base, Windlifter took off and headed to the woods.</p><p>The meadow he landed in was just big enough to hold his size. The trees that surrounded it were healthy lodgepole pines that stretched high into the sky but created a large open space beneath. With practiced care, Windlifter tucked himself under the trees and within the forest.</p><p>Then he breathed. The Japanese had a word for this kind of ritual. They called it Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. It was the act of slowing down and allowing yourself to be 100% present in the moment. Windlifter sat and felt as his tires were cradled by the mossy mud of the forest floor. Windlifter sat and listen to the sound of the wind through the trees, the music of the gliders, and whisper of the trees themselves. Windlifter sat and let all of the pain of the previous week’s failures ebb away.</p><p>Only once the ache of failure located deep in his motor started to fade did Windlifter gingerly back is way out of the forest and into the clearing. As he took to the air, it was clear that it was growing late in the day. Still, the helicopter did not rush back. He tried to use the same mindfulness he had used in the forest to make observations about his flight home. To process how the air flowed around his body and to savor the feeling of warm tarmac against his tires as he came in for a landing. The base was quiet when he arrived, which was to be expected, but there was a lone vehicle on the tarmac waiting to greet him.</p><p>“So, what were you up to?” Maru asked. The tug clearly slightly buzzed.</p><p>“Forest bathing.” The Skycrane replied without missing a beat.</p><p>“Alright…” Maru eyed the mud-streaked belly. “Well, you better go get properly washed up before dinner so you don’t track too much mud into the hanger.”</p><p>Windlifter gave a small bob then went off to let the warm water wash away the last of his discomfort.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Naturopath- <em>Naturopathic medicine is considered to be a type form of peudomedicine. It focuses on using noninvasive methods of healing. Some of these methods, think physical therapy and meditation, have well studied benefits and a valued part of mainstream medical treatment. Other forms, think essential oils and COVID-19 parties, are known to cause active harm and in some cases even lead to death. When incorporating naturopathic practices in your life, it is important to understand the benefits, as well as the limitations the risks of that practice. An example of this is when Windlifter used forest bathing to help him let go of negative energy and process his own feelings…these are realistic expectations for that type of naturopathic treatment, if he assumed that it would also prevent or get rid of a cold he would cross into the realm where the practice could cause him harm.</em></p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. O is for Ocular Migraine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There was something wrong...things were just too quiet on base.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Superintendent Jammer knew something was wrong the moment he rolled up on the Piston Peaks Air Attack Base. Normally the base was practically bursting at the seams with life. Even when the team had a chance to properly stand down there was always the sound of music on the PA and various vehicles tinkering away at projects. Right now, all of that was missing.</p><p>“Anyone here!” Jammer hollered in order to get someone’s, anyone’s attention. Out of the corner of his eye Jammer spotted a streak of yellow coming towards him at without sound and at a surprising speed for a vehicle of that size.  </p><p>“What…?” Jammer tried started only to find Avalanche’s blade pressed against Jammer’s lips to get the ranger to stop talking and a frustrated smokejumper looking up at him. The two vehicles sat still on the tarmac for a few long rotor beats, finally the dozer was convinced that Jammer was going to be quiet and he ushered the older vehicle towards Maru’s hanger. When Jammer opened his mouth once again the moment that he spotted the mechanic, but another stinging look from Avalanche caused the superintendent to quiet until hanger door was completely shut.</p><p>“Sorry about that.” Maru said, his voice barely more than a whisper once all the doors were closed. “Cabbie’s down with a beast of an ocular migraine and the stuff I dosed him with barely made a dent in his pain, so we are all doing our best stay quiet.”</p><p>“Ah…” Jammer breathed as he glanced between Avalanche and Maru. “Well, I think I might be able to help with that. I came up here because the conservation team needs some extra horsepower finish up repairing the dug in amphitheater before tomorrow’s concert. Would any of the smokejumpers be willing to lend a blade?”</p><p>Avalanche looked absolutely thrilled at the suggestion. The dozer instantly opened his mouth, then instantly remembered what was going on and slammed it shut and looked sheepishly in Maru’s direction. That actually got the mechanic to chuckle softly under his breath.</p><p>“Looks like you got yourself a team of smokejumpers at your disposal. I will relay the message to the kids and Avalanche will make sure they are at the worksite within the next hour or so.”</p><p>“That would be perfect.” Jammer smiled at his subordinates that moved exit the hanger. Once he reached the door he paused before opening it. “Oh, and let Cabbie know that everyone at the head offices is hoping he feels better soon.”</p><p>Maru of course indicated he would, and Avalanche gingerly escorted him across the tarmac and back to the access road. As Superintendent Jammer headed down the steep slope, he couldn’t help but smile. Working in a National Park was hard, often lonely, and sometime dangerous work. Jammer often found himself worrying about his people, but he never worried about the Air Attack Team even though they had some of the most dangerous jobs in the park because he knew that every vehicle on that team would look out for each other.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Ocular Migraine- <em>Ocular migraines are defined by two symptoms. The first is a significant drop in vision acuity and sometimes complete blindness in one eye. The effects on vision last for up to an hour. The second symptom is a severe headache. These headaches last between 4 hours to 72 hours. While all migraine headaches are usually accompanied by some level of nausea and sensitivity to light/sound, ocular migraine sufferers are particularly prone to severe reactions to both light and sound. High temperatures and dehydration are common triggers for this rare type of migraine which often means ocular migraines are most likely to during summer months. </em></p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. P is for Palliative Care</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There was a box in the corner of Maru's hanger...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a box in the corner of the room that contained Maru’s worst nightmare. The nine little glass vials, each carefully labeled and nestled in soft cloth might look innocent enough but for the little mechanic each vial represented the end of a life.</p><p>Maru had seen in person or heard over the radio enough deaths of wildland firefighters to know what a good death looked like. And after witnessing enough bad ones, Maru was determined that he would do everything in his power to prevent someone he cared so deeply about from experiencing that…</p><p>He knew that philosophy was a controversial one. There were many mechanics that believed strongly that as long as a vehicle was in the field, the mechanic should never stop fighting…from Maru’s experience though, none of those overly optimistic mechanics ever had to respond to an aircraft crash. If Cabbie tore his belly open on a ridge, no amount of care that Maru could offer would make his life worth living. If Windlifter went down in front of an rapidly approaching fire, there was literally no way for the team to rescue him. If a smokejumper got caught in a firestorm and melted to the ground, the very act of cutting them away from the rocks would kill them.</p><p>In all of these cases Maru believed the only form of meaningful treatment he could offer his teammates…his friends…was the ability to ease their suffering as the end drew near. In order to do this, every spring Maru carefully measured a special blend pain medications and sedatives for every member of the team. He worked carefully, calculating just how much he needed gentle ease a given team member into coma from which Maru knew they would never wake. He sealed each dose prepared vials so that they would be ready at a moments notice, and once that years box was ready, he disposed of the previous year’s vials.  </p><p>Then the little box sat in the corner of Maru’s hanger…a constant reminder of Maru’s worst nightmare…a constant reminder of just how thin the line between life and death was. The little box sat in the corner and every single day Maru prayed that all those preparations would be forever wasted.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Palliative Care- <em>Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on pain management and anxiety reduction. While it is often most associated with end of life care, palliative care is an important part of treating chronic illnesses such as cancer. Palliative care often uses a combination of medication, diet, comforting items, and social services such as a chaplain and/or therapist.</em></p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Q is for Quart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The moment Blade became Chief, Maru knew they were going to have an argument...he just didn't expect it to happen this quickly.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the most part Maru was a pretty easy-going tug, but even a laid-back mechanic had limits and at the moment Blade was running right smack into one of those limits.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Ever since Blade Ranger had become the official Chief of the Piston Peaks Air Attack Team, Maru had known that it was only going to be a matter of time before they were going to have a proper argument…</p><p>“Maru.” Blade practically growled.</p><p>…Maru just hadn’t expected that argument to happen within three hours of Blade taking the post…</p><p>“I said no.” Maru leveled Blade with a look of complete and utter exasperation.</p><p>…But now that the argument had officially hit, Blade was going to discover that Maru did in fact have a few hills he was willing to fight to the death on.</p><p>“I can’t believe you wouldn’t do this for the good of the base.” Blade practically spat.</p><p>Oh…Oh he didn’t just go there. Well, if Blade was going to try to play that card on him, Maru wasn’t going to hold any of his punches anymore.</p><p>“You really think that?” Maru asked then when Blade moved to reply he held up a tine to silence him. “Blade Ranger, we have known each other long enough for me to know when you are playing dirty in an argument, but we both know what this argument is really about. It is about your fear of relapse. You are scared that now that you are in charge of the base that there will ride herd on you if you fall off the wagon and start abusing high grade again, so you are removing that possibility by removing the high grade all together…” At Maru’s words he could see the Blade’s anger getting hotter and hotter, but if they were going to get to the bottom of this problem, the mechanic was going to have make sure all of their cards were in the open. “Blade, I hate to break it to you but you’re being a selfish slagging idiot.”</p><p>“And you have so much room to talk.” The helicopter’s mood was practically volcanic. “I will have you know that I have seen you sneak off to romance a tin of high grade far too many evenings!”</p><p>“I will fully admit that my dependance on high grade is not a healthy one…but I can at least say that I use my vice somewhat responsible. You know as well as I do, that I have my fair share of demons and sometimes I have needed help chasing them off at nights…” Maru allowed his voice to lower in an attempt to draw Blade in and lower the heat of the argument. “But I bring us back to the point that this argument isn’t about us, it is about the team. Is your high horse worth sacrificing the health and safety of your team over?”</p><p>“You have the gall to call me selfish and you are trying to make health and safety arguments to try to weasel in an exception for your preferred vice.” Blade rolled over Maru’s attempt at an olive branch with all the grace of a bulldozer.</p><p>“I am taking about Cabbie, Blade.” Maru snapped as he leveled an unflinching look at his boss. “I am talking about Cabbie, and Windlifter, and a whole host of the larger aircraft we host during big fires. High grade might give smaller vehicles a buzz, for birds and vehicles with the big engines high grade is a mechanical necessity. If giving up my crutch of a drinking habit is what it takes make sure that vehicles under my care get the types of inputs, they need to be healthy, then so be it, but this is an issue of health and safety and I will not be budging on my position on this.”</p><p>Blade gave Maru a long hard look, then finally looked away. “There really isn’t room for compromise on this is there.”</p><p>“Not as long as your compromise requires banning high grade from base.” Maru laid things out as he saw it. “If you want to talk about creating a plan about how high grade is managed on base, then I think we have space to talk.”</p><p>“Explain.” Blade eyes narrowed, but it was clear that Maru had captured the helicopter’s curiosity.</p><p>“Why don’t we treat it like we do pain medications?” Maru motioned a tine in the rough direction of his hanger. “Pain medications can alter a vehicles judgement and behavior when taken, they also carry a risk of addition. As a result, all pain medications on base are held securely by me, the base mechanic, and I distribute the medication when the vehicle needs it. This allows our teammates to safely access pain management when their health needs it, while providing an important safeguard against possible medication abuse.”</p><p>“Alright…I think I we can make that work…” Blade looked thoughtful for a moment. “But if I find any high grade left out where the smokejumpers can find it, I will confiscate it.”</p><p>“I can work with that.” Maru allowed a crooked smile to grace his lips. The game was on, but Chrysler, Maru knew that rules had been set in his favor. Because while Blade was tenacious as slag, the helicopter’s stubbornness was no match for Maru’s deviousness.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Quart- <em>A imperial unit of measure that was named because it equals one quarter of a gallon. </em><em>Current only three countries officially use quarts (United States, Myanmar, and Liberia) but it does occasionally still get used in the British Isle or other countries in the commonwealth especially in cases involving alcohol or dairy. </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, this story was kind of born out of the ridicule amount of research that I have done about C-119s. Turns out due to the size and complexity of the WASP Major engine, engineers had to create a higher grade of lubricating oil that currently existed. To this day WASP Majors still rank as the largest and most complex piston engines that ever went into widespread production. Given how fiddly those engines are known to be, I don't blame Maru for standing his ground on this.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. R is for Radiation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It started with a weather report and ended with magic.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It started as it always started. Cabbie announcing over breakfast that the National Weather Service had issued an alert that there was a significant solar storm going on an they predicted strong to severe space weather here on Planet Earth. While the new members of the team didn’t really follow the conversation that followed the level of concern that crossed both Blade’s and Maru’s face was enough to let them know that something large was a foot.</p><p>The first action was to completely ground Cabbie and Windlifter, and place restrictions on the rest of the aircraft. Radios and navigational systems were going to be on the fritz today and there was no point in taking any risks. Patch got on the horn to notify their community partners that Air Attack Team currently had limited capabilities until further notice due to the solar storm.</p><p>Then they waited. On the surface everything seemed pretty normal…but the moment anyone tried to access their radios they could hear the crackle and whine of the solar winds hitting the atmosphere. The smokejumpers did their best to keep themselves busy while the aircraft around them fought a sense that everything was just off. Finally, the entire team decided to call it an early night in the hopes that everything would go back to normal in the morning.</p><p>A few hours later they were awakened by a gentle tapping at their hanger doors to find Cabbie looming over them. At first many of the team members were groggy and confused, but once Cabbie instructed them to look up, they instant recognized why the old plane had interrupted their sleep.</p><p>Above them a delicate ribbon of green flicked across the sky. Venturing out into the chill of night, it was difficult any member of the team to peel their eyes away from the northern lights as they danced across the stars. Time stopped holding meaning at that moment. But an aurora could never last forever, and after each of the members of the team had downed at least three mugs of hot cocoa, it faded back into the darkness of space from which it had appeared.</p><p>The Piston Peaks Air Attack Base was unusually quiet the next morning, but no one spoke of why, just like no one mentioned anything when Blade allowed everyone to sleep in the following morning. What they had experienced last night had simply been too magical to risk breaking the spell trying put what they had seen into words.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Radiation- <em>Radiation is a term referring to spectrums of light that are beyond the range that humans are capable of seeing. When someone is concerned about radiation they are often referring to Ionizing Radiation, which occurs between 30 PHz and 300 EHz, and includes extreme ultraviolet, X-Rays, and Gamma Rays. This said, folks that work with communication systems refer to the energy given off by microwave and radio systems as radiation as well. </em></p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. S is for SOAP Notes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Before the Corn Festival Maru walks Dottie through Dusty's SOAP Notes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maru had some amazing skills but making a proper first impression was not one of them. Even though Dottie had chatted with the Piston Peak Air Attack Team’s mechanic over the phone and radio more times than she dared to admit during the last couple of days and had mostly grown to trust him, actually meeting the tug in person had her second guessing herself. The tug in front of her eye’s were pinched and slightly red around the edges, and if she took a close enough look at his blue and grey paint she could see speckles of red, white, and black paint on his skin. In short, the tug in front of her was making Chug look sophisticated.  </p><p>The way he downed pint of oil that she had given him upon entry hadn’t particularly made a good impression on her either. But when he gently set the oil down next to him and gave her a sheepish smile, Dottie found herself relaxing slightly.</p><p>“You have no idea just how much I needed that.” Maru said frankly. “I still haven’t fully gotten my bearings back from the whole park’s on fire fiasco.”</p><p>“I can only imagine.” Dottie did her best to sound sympathetic. “It must have been challenging it was to get Dusty back in working order with as many upgrades he has had.”</p><p>“It would have been so much easier if it had just been the Champ, but alas, when it rains it pours, which as a mechanic I am sure you are familiar with.” As Maru muttered Dottie couldn’t help but give him a somewhat incredulous look. Keeping up with Dusty’s need for speed had almost become a full-time job when he was in town so Dottie wasn’t exactly sure what Maru meant by saying ‘if it had just been Champ’ luckily Maru picked up on her cue and elaborated. “Blade, the Chief, managed to get himself cooked medium well and had a rotor strike a couple hours before the Champ went down, and Cabbie, that big C-119 managed to nearly suffocate on ash when a less than scruples mechanic removed his air filters after he made an emergency landing at a nearby airfield the following day. Believe me, I would not wish a WASP Major realignment on my worst enemy and Cabbie insisted on handing me two of them that day.”</p><p>“I see…” Dottie said as she fiddled with her tea. She had no idea where Maru was taking this conversation.</p><p>“But I am rambling.” Maru signed heavily. “I am here to make sure that you have everything you need to update Crophopper’s medical files. I have brought along a copy of his SOAP Notes, but I know that SOAPs sometimes leave room for questions so feel free to ask about anything you need a little more details on.”</p><p>The mechanic then slid over a folder that was far thicker than Dottie had initially expected. Flipping through it she noticed that file didn’t just include information about the types/locations of injuries and a record of the medications Dusty had taken…it also included all of Maru’s meticulous manufacturing notes on how he had built a gear box from scratch.</p><p>“I thought it might be particularly useful for you all to have those notes on file. Gearboxes don’t last forever, and the way the Champ flies it will be only a matter of time before he chews through another one. Getting his next custom built one will be pricy, but when those specs, he should be able to go to any custom aircraft part manufactures and have a new one made.”</p><p>Dottie looked at mechanic sitting across from her and she had a hard time keeping the tears from forming at the corner of her eyes. Dottie was a darned good mechanic and an even shrewder businesses woman. She had successfully thrown her weight around on an international stage to make sure that her friend got the resources he needed to win…but despite all of her skills and experience she hadn’t been able to solve this problem. The fact that Dusty had managed to crash land into the care of one of the only tugs on the planet that could solve his gear box issue had been a complete and utter miracle.</p><p>“Where in the world did you learn how to do this?” Dottie asked in awe.</p><p>That got a hardy laugh from Maru. “The movies. I was a set mechanic for many, many years before I started my second career with the National Park.”</p><p>“Sounds like there is a story behind that.” She pushed, genuinely wanting, no needing to know the domino of events that had led to Dusty being able to once again fly strong.</p><p>“There is, and I promise to tell it to you over a tin of high grade sometime. But first we need to plow through this paperwork so that we can both enjoy tomorrow’s Corn Festival festivities.”</p><p>The two tugs talked through medical notes late into the night, but Maru stated true to his word and before the Air Attack Team winged their way back to Piston Peaks he treated Dottie to a tin of high grade and a story at the local bar. Once the story was done, even Dottie had to admit that it was quite a tale to tell.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- SOAP Notes- <em>SOAP stands for Subject, Objective, Assessment, and Plan. SOAP Notes is a documentation system used by health care providers track a patient’s care. While SOAP Notes might have small differences in structure from one health professional to another, they are relatively standardized. This standardization allows them to be a good way of quickly bringing a fellow health professional up to speed on current treatments.</em></p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. T is for Timing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rake shows up at Maru's Hanger asking for help.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As far as vehicles went, Rake was a tug of few words. In fact, he often managed to make Windlifter seem like a conversationalist. The few times that Maru had interacted with him in the past, the mechanic had struggled to get more than a couple words out of him. So, when Rake showed up at his Hanger seemingly out of the blue, Maru couldn’t help but be intrigued.</p><p>“Pulaski is sick.” Rake informed Maru without any further explanation.</p><p>“And why are you telling me this?” The mechanic asked genuinely confused.</p><p>“He is sick and because of everything going on at the lodge he hasn’t been gotten checked out…and now it has been going on for 15 days and I was running out of options…”</p><p>“…So you came here.” Maru finished the sentence for him and got an affirmative bounce on his tires. “Alright, where is he.”</p><p>“I finally got him to take a nap.”</p><p>“Where?” Maru looked out towards the tarmac.</p><p>“At the firehouse.” Rake said without batting an eye…which of course caused Maru’s curiosity to increase dramatically. Most tugs simply were not street legal so it could be a pain traveling long distances and Maru hadn’t noticed any other vehicles on the tarmac which caused the mechanic to have a growing question.</p><p>“How in the world did you make it up here?”</p><p>“Trails mostly…” Rake shrugged his tines, “though there were a few places where I had to take the road. Luckily you don’t get too much traffic close to your base, so I thought everything would be fine as long as I turned on my lights.”</p><p>“Ah…” Maru knew wasn’t a particularly safe mode of travel, but the smokejumpers did it on a regular basis, so the park staff tended to ignore it. “Well, I suspect that Pulaski might be finished with his nap. I suggest that we take Cabbie back.”</p><p>The flight to the lodge took minutes, which kind of made Maru feel a bit guilty because he knew that Rake’s hike up to the Air Attack Base must have taken the little vehicle hours. But Maru had learned long ago it was better to work smarter vs work harder, and hopefully this quick flight would help Rake find other ways of letting Maru know when he was needed…like say, using the radio.</p><p>The firehouse was dark and quiet when Maru and Rake entered carrying the mechanic’s field kit. They quickly discovered that Pulaski hadn’t actually finished his nap, which was a pretty clear testament to just how rotten the fire rig must have been feeling. After a bit of effort, he was able to gradually rouse Pulaski enough to get the big guy to list his symptoms and pop his hood. It only took a few minutes later to identify the primary cause of the issue, a chewed up chain that was clearly skipping and causing Pulaski’s timing be absolutely lousy.</p><p>“I need you to run down to the Guest Repair Station and have them pull this part for me.” Maru passed Rake a slip of paper. “Tell them to charge it to the Park’s Workers Comp account and that I will make sure to file all of the required paperwork by the end of the week.”</p><p>“The superintendent…” Rake said quietly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation and Maru knew exactly why. The Cad Spinner had decided that the Guest Repair Station was for park visitors and only park visitors.</p><p>“Leave Spinner to me.” Maru said flatly. “The SUV might get a stick up his tail pipe about this situation, but he still has enough common sense to know that a mechanic’s word is law.”</p><p>Once Maru finally got the part he spent two hours getting it installed and running tests to make sure that none of Pulaski’s other parts had lasting damage. Once it was clear that Rake had called him in time and he didn’t have to replace a bunch of pumps, Maru then spent another hour giving a more awake Pulaski a proper lecture not ignoring major damage like that again. With his work finally complete, he called Cabbie to come pick him up. While he waited for his ride, he made one last stop.</p><p>“Ranger Jammer?” Maru knocked on the door of one of the rangers on staff the mechanic trusted most.</p><p>“Yes?” The vehicle looked up from a tall stack of paperwork.</p><p>“Can I get your help on something?”</p><p>“That depends on what it is.” Old Jammer stated, but also gave Maru his full attention.</p><p>“Can you keep an eye on Pulaski for me?”</p><p>“Of course…what am I watching for?”</p><p>“Nothing in particular. He just really needs someone in his court right now…” Maru trailed off trying to think of how he was going to explain the situation while staying diplomatic about things, then he decided to throw diplomacy out the window. If he was going to trust Jammer to be his eyes on this project he could trust him with the whole truth. “The Spinner set some very unrealistic expectations for the guy and it is starting to effect Pulaski’s health. For example, his timing chain was chipped slag and the only reason how</p><p>“Sounds like he has got Rake solidly in his corner.”</p><p>“He does, but Rake can’t do it by himself.” Maru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Honestly, I suspect that if we don’t keep on eye on them one of both of them will end up playing martyr on us and you know as well as I do just how big of a mess that is to clean up after.”</p><p>“Ah…so the two of them a similar dynamic to the one Blade and you had when you started.”</p><p>“Exactly.” Maru smirked back. “I knew you would get where I came from.”</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Timing- <em>In order for an engine to fire properly the proper mixture of fuel and air must enter the cylinder just as the engine’s piston reaches the top dead center (known by mechanics as TDC). Depending on the vehicle matching the fuel/air mixture with the position of the piston is achieved by using either a timing belt or timing chain. The amount time required for the proper mixture to be build up is about the same amount no matter how fast the engine is running so having pistons firing too soon or too late significantly alters the performance of the vehicle and requires a mechanic to tune up the timing.</em></p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. U is for Undercarriage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pinecone was very shy about undercarriage work...Maru would find a way to work around that.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maru knew that this was going to be a relatively simple fix, but it order for him to get to the chafed wire that was causing Pinecone so much discomfort he was going work deep in her undercarriage…and that was the current problem. Every vehicle on the team had their particularities when it came to receiving treatments. Blade hated being worked on when he was unconscious and Windlifter’s manifolds were ticklish, to name a few. Pinecone was particularly shy about having her undercarriage exposed.</p><p>Any mechanic knew it was perfectly normal for ground vehicles to be sensitive about their undercarriages. It was typically one of those places where sunlight should not shine, but even though most vehicles preferred to keep that part of their anatomy private Pinecone took that shyness to a completely different level. It was something that Maru had spent more time than he wanted to admit pondering about, and he finally came to the assumption that it was probably something related to her upbringing.</p><p>In the end, it didn’t matter why Pinecone was uncomfortable with undercarriage work. As her mechanic it was Maru’s find to keep her comfortable while receiving needed medical treatment. Most of the time that involved making sure that he talked her through what he was about to do and then completing the repair as quickly as possible. The one exception to that protocol had been when Pinecone had mowed down a tree on a bad jump and the damage had been bad enough on that that sedation had been required.</p><p>Today’s repair was such a simple fix, that on any other vehicle, Maru would have already been done but Pinecone was particularly antsy today. Every time Maru had almost caught the loose wire she would squirm causing him to lose his grip. It was a situation that was rapidly causing both vehicles to lose their patience. With a deep breath Maru reached in once again, but the moment his tine brushed against Pinecone she flinched, hard causing Maru’s tine to bang against the metal of her chassis and causing the mechanic to swear in moment of pain.</p><p>“Can I help?” Drip popped his head into hanger a moment later clearly alerted by the noise.</p><p>“No.” Maru instantly moved to shoo Drip away. Pinecone really didn’t need an audience for this, then an idea popped into his head. “Yes…can you get Patch for me.”</p><p>“Drip?” Maru prodded when Drip didn’t move.</p><p>“Yes?” The little digger said still trying to fully take in the situation.</p><p>“Do you have tines?”</p><p>“No?” Drip said with the slight air of a question around the edge of his statement.</p><p>“Then go get Patch.” Maru pressed again and luckily this time his words seemed to properly sink in.</p><p>“Oh…Okay!” Drip gave a quick bob and then speed off toward the tower.</p><p>While Drip completed the errand, Maru turned to another task. He wiped out the small electric kettle he kept in his hanger for emergencies, filled it with water and set it to heat. He had successfully finished that task when Patch came sliding into the hanger at full speed.</p><p>“What do you need?” The dispatcher said out of breath and clearly ready to jump into action.</p><p>“Take a deep breath.” Maru said as he poured the water into two mugs, then added hot cocoa and marshmallows. He rolled over and passed one mug to Patch before giving the other to Pinecone. “I have been trying to make a repair on Pinecone and it is rapidly becoming clear that we need a distraction. Think you could help?”</p><p>“You called me out here for that?” Patch at first looked annoyed, but that quickly passed the moment that she saw the exhausted and frustrated look on Pinecones face. An emotion quickly flickered across her face before she settled into an expression of hottie ingratiation and turned her attention to Pinecone. “He really should have let me know from the start…but you know men,” she gave Maru a wink, “they always think they can fix things by themselves when sometimes they should lean on their teammates.”</p><p>That actually got a chuckle out of Pinecone, which instantly told Maru that he had made the right choice pulling Patch in…even if it was rapidly becoming clear that Patch had read the situation and made decided that the best way to deal with Pinecone’s discomfort was to make sure that Maru was equally, if not more uncomfortable.</p><p>“So, Pinecone, what do you think we should talk about?” Patch made a clucking noise. “Because I have to admit some of those scenes in the latest Game of Thrones episode were incredibly hot and I think we should totally do a blow by blow analysis.”</p><p>And that is what they insisted on doing for the next half of an hour and Maru worked as quickly as his slagging tines would allow him, because it rapidly became clear that while Pinecone might be shy about her undercarriage, she was very skilled and comfortable at describing things in incredibly graphic language. The worst part was Patch was more than willing to match Pinecone description by description. Maru had honestly thought Dipper was the one with the depraved mind, but it turned out some of the other members of the teams were just more skilled keeping hidden depths.</p><p>“Alright. Your finished.” Maru said when he was able to finally put the last piece in place and lower the lift.</p><p>“Ah…” Patch actually had the audacity to fane disappointment. “Already? We were just about to get to another good part.”</p><p>“And you can finish it, but not in my hanger as I need space to get everything cleared up.” Maru stared at the two women with mock seriousness. As they turned to leave, he stopped them and tossed Patch a tin of high grade. “With all you two were slagging talking about, I suspect you need to wash your mouths out something stronger than hot cocoa.”</p><p>Both Patch’s and Pinecone’s peals of laughter could be heard echoing across base, which of course made Maru smile. Pinecone was incredibly shy about her undercarriage and that showed every time it had to be worked on, but today had been different. Today as Patch had reminisced about a TV series in a way that would make even an air carrier blush, Pinecone had not flinched once as Maru had done his work.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Undercarriage- <em>The undercarriage is the framework underneath a care that provides a vehicle’s supporting structure. Some vehicles such as cars often have exposed undercarriages, while other vehicles such as aircraft have undercarriages that hidden inside the body of the vehicle.</em></p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. V is for Valve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Drip bends a valve for the firth time this season...it wasn't even June yet.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Things broke. It was just a fact of life at the Piston Peaks Air Attack Base. Things broke, Maru fixed them, and everyone went on with their life until they broke something once more. It was to be expected. Firefighting was a slagging dangerous job, and wildland firefighting had an even higher level of risk with even less access to resources. It was the limit on the base resources which sometimes caused Maru to get frustrated when he had to make the same repair, over and over again.</p><p>“Drip…how in the world did you manage to bend a valve again?” Maru grumbled as he got to work trying to pound it out. He wasn’t even going to bother getting the fit perfect again. This was Drips fifth valve of the season…and it wasn’t even June yet. Maru was perfectly willing to make things better than new, but sometimes you just had to put a tire down when it was clear his work was just going to be abused to the point of failure.</p><p>“Um?” Drip looked pensive for a moment as though he was reflecting on the as though he was trying to identify the exact moment, he had sprung a leak again. “It might have been the backflips I did yesterday…Oh, or it could have been the race that I challenged Blackout and Pinecone to through up the scree slope. I totally won that race.” Drip grinned clearly pleased by his performance. “It also could have been that tree stump that I hit hard on that last fire…or it could have been…”</p><p>“Drip.” Maru sighed.</p><p>“Yes.” Drip pulled himself out of his rambling train of thought.</p><p>“Forget that I asked.” The mechanic stated flatly.</p><p>“Okay.” Drip stated with far too much enthusiasm for Maru’s liking. “But I really need to tell you about the race of the scree slope. It was totally epic!”</p><p>And that is what the smokejumper did as Maru got to work replacing the valve and topping off his oil. Once the work was done, Maru quickly sent Drip on his way, then broke down and snagged a small canister of high grade from his stash. Maru loved his people, but honestly, sometimes really did drive the mechanic to drink.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Valve- <em>A valve is an object that regulates the direction and/or flow rate of a fluid. Valves are both natural (think the heart) and manmade (think plumbing). Because of the large number of uses, there are a lot of different types of valves. Common types include hydraulic (powered by liquids), pneumatic (powered by air), manual (powered by someone or something turning it), solenoid (powered by electricity or a magnetic field), and motor (powered by combustion). Most types of vehicles require multiple types of valves to work. </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sadly, we are rapidly coming to the end of this story...but fear not there will be a new Planes Christmas Advent Calendar next year. The challenge is we need to identify the theme for next year's collection. If you have ideas for that please let me know!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. W is for Welding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Maru looked at his teammates, he saw his handiwork.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Maru looked at his teammates, he saw stories that were hidden from the rest of the world through the careful application of buffing and paint. He was exceptionally skilled at his art. He had to be because no film studio mechanic would have survived a single botched repair on a movie star. Joining the Air Attack Team at Piston Peaks had owned his craft in yet another way. Now Maru couldn’t just make his welding work beautiful and seamless…he also had to make it as strong as the metal that surrounded the joint. It was a challenge that was worth every ounce of effort he poured into it, but even he knew there were limits.</p><p>Cabbie was probably the best example of that. Even under his firefighting livery, even many of his scars were pretty easy to spot. Most of them were old war wounds that had be field welded close to the battlefront during the cold war. Those puckered hunks of solder filled everything from what Maru assumed were punctures from bullets to damage done by bad belly landings, and there were just too many rough scars for Maru fully smooth them out.</p><p>Then there was the tattoo. Along Cabbie’s sides written into the metal of his skin were the words US Air Force. While Maru worked hard with paint and primer to camouflage Cabbie’s war wounds, he did best to make sure that his tattoo could peak through his livery once the old plane had informed Maru what those tattoos represented. For the metal that made up those words were from every single C-119 he ever flew with and represented the believe among Flying Boxcars that none of their kind was ever truly dead as long as a piece of them still flew.</p><p>On the other end of the spectrum, Windlifter was still nearly pristine, which was slagging impressive given his age and fact that the helicopter belong to a crew of trouble magnets. Part of it was the Skycrane’s impressive medical insurance plan which for factory parts whenever got anything more than a ding. The other factor was Windlifter actually paid attention to his surroundings which significantly cut down on the number of accidents ended up getting himself in.</p><p>But upon reflection, there was really two vehicles that were Maru’s magnus opuses. The first, was of course, the Chief. Maru had worked on Blade Ranger for decades and even though the mechanic knew every repair he had made he prided himself on the fact that the helicopter still looked as pristine as when he had first met him on the film studio lot.</p><p>The second was Avalanche because no other vehicle on the team tested strength of Maru’s welds with as much intensity. When the dozer pushed his frame to the limit and something other than Maru’s handy work buckled under the strain, the mechanic couldn’t help but feel intense pride in his work.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Welding- <em>Welding is a manufacturing process that allows for joining of materials through the use of heat to melt the place where the materials meet. Many different energy sources are used wen welding including flame, electricity, lasers and even ultrasound. The strength of the weld depends on the materials and the process of welding used to create the weld. Welding is a particularly valuable manufacturing process because it can be done pretty much anywhere including underwater and even in space.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright, we five proposed themes for next year's collection.  Now it is time to put them up for a vote.<br/>- B is for Backburn (A collection about firefighting techniques)<br/>- F is for Forestry (A collection about forest and resource management)<br/>- H is for Helicopter (A collection about the peculiarities of helicopters and helicopter culture)<br/>- P is for Prevention (A collection about safety and harm prevention)<br/>- R is for Racer (A collection about a need for speed)</p><p>Let me know which story you would like to read next year ASAP and I will announce the winner during the last story which will be posted on Christmas morning.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. X is for X-Ray</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There was one medical procedure that Cabbie would never let Maru do.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cabbie did his best not to hold his breath, he needed to keep breathing, but the fear that was bubbling up inside of him just made him want to stop time…to freeze it in its tracks. He knew he shouldn’t fear a simple medical procedure…a test…but he also knew that the outcome of that test would determine his entire existence.</p><p>Maru had offered to come with Cabbie when he got the procedure done, but as always, Cabbie had declined. He trusted the mechanic with his engines…his life…but he was too good of a friend. If X-Ray Radiography showed signs of microfractures, Maru would insist on being the mechanic to let him know. Cabbie knew that giving him what was tantamount to a death sentence would haunt Maru forever…and if Cabbie needed to get that level of bad news, the least he could do was make sure to do as little harm to those he cared about in the process.</p><p>He tried to force himself to breathe and look at the bright side. He had lived a good, long life. One that was far better and far longer than he deserved. During the wars there were so many battles that he shouldn’t have flown away from and he had fought some truly terrifying fires. If his body decided that it had experienced too much to keep flying, Cabbie would find a way to respect that. He had made up his mind long ago that he wouldn’t fight it like some aircraft did. He would respect his fate, say his goodbyes, and take his last flight. As far as deaths go, there was a lot of comfort in being able to face it with choices.</p><p>“Colonel McHale?” The VA medical orderly pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts before they got into a proper tailspin. Cabbie tried to reply, but he found his mouth had gone completely dry, so he managed an affirmative bob instead. “The technician just looked over your scans and they looked great. No evidence of microfractures.”</p><p>“Thank You.” Cabbie managed to choak out which got him a pat on his nose.</p><p>“Well, I will send back some coffee and when you are done with your mug and your nerves are settled, you are free to hit the sky’s.”</p><p>Cabbie had enough practice faking stable nerves that he was able to escape out the airport exit of the VA less than 15 minutes later. Once he was finally on the tarmac, Cabbie let go of the breath he had partially been holding for the full week leading up to the test. He held in the rest of his emotions until he reached cruising altitude, then he opened the flood gates and let everything out. Only when the last of his sobs had let go of his frame did Cabbie turn his nose towards home. He took the long way home to give his tears space to dry, but he did up his speed…after all, he had friends at home who were patiently waiting to hear the good news.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- X-Ray- <em>X-Rays are a type of penetrating, high energy electromagnetic radiation. Because it passes through different substances at different speeds, X-Rays are a useful tool to create imagines of the inside of things.</em></p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Y is for Y-Chromosome</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sometimes the men of Piston Peak Air Attack Base needed the chance to just be boys for a while.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Too many vehicles pulled out the saying ‘boys will be boys’ when they were trying find a way to excuse some form of inexcusable behavior…but Dynamite had learned long ago the types of situations where the saying should properly be used. This was because as the captain of the Piston Peak’s Smokejumper team she had learned that while her men were some of the hardest working guys she could ever ask for, they desperately needed the chance to play and burn off steam every once in a while.</p><p>On days where the team was fully off the fire line and all the chores were done, Dynamite tried to give her team the space to play as hard as their hearts' desired for a couple of hours by retreating to Patch’s domain for a proper woman to woman chat. This particular day both vehicles had mixed up a mug of fancy mocha and had settled in for a proper gab.</p><p>As always, they had started with shop talk. They meandered their way through regulation updates and the latest budget figures and when they grew bored of talking work, they switched over to discussing some of their guilty pleasures. Patch was a voracious reader and always found joy talking about the latest novel with a vehicle who didn’t mind her spoiling all of the plot points because her tastes landed solidly in the true-crime genera. The dispatcher was about to launch into a particularly in-depth rant about the latest Game of Throne theories delays when there was a soft knock at her tower door.</p><p>“Mind if I join you all?” Pinecone asked somewhat timidly. When Dynamite gave her a slightly quizzical look. “The rest of the team are building ramps again, and while that is often fun, sometimes you just want a relaxing afternoon.”</p><p>Dynamite understood Pinecone’s situation completely. While it was awesome to be part of a team of men…sometimes those men forgot that the women on their team were in fact women and might have a different opinion on which activities constituted proper entertainment. Honestly, Dynamite suspected that her team sometimes forgot that not all of the men on the team always had the same opinion about which activities constituted proper entertaining…but there was only so much she could do to convince Blackout to start advocating for himself...but she was digressing.</p><p>“Of course, you can join in.” Patch grinned and did her best to put the larger vehicle at ease. “We were just getting into a proper discussion about this season’s bachelorette discussion.”</p><p>Pinecone perked up at that and instantly launched into her own opinion. As she did, Patch gave Dynamite a subtle wink and the captain couldn’t help but smile into her mochi. It was true that her men needed chance to be boys, but it was also true that the women on base also needed the opportunity to be girls and there was no one as skilled at drawing that out as Patch.</p><p>The conversation continued to meander as it flowed from one vehicle's interest to another one's right up until a loud yawl of pain instantly caused Dynamite and Patch to pause mid-sip of coffee.</p><p>“Will you all simmer down!” Cabbie’s echoed across the base and his tone instantly allowed Dynamite to relax. “Honestly, you think that the whole lot of you were raised in a mine.”</p><p>“BUT IT TOTALLY WAS…” Avalanche sounded a bit cowed.</p><p>“Which was why I expected you to be the responsible one!” Cabbie gave a long barking laugh, which Dynamite knew communicated exactly what the male members of the smokejumper team needed to hear. It let them know that the old plane wasn’t mad them, but they had pushed their play out beyond the realm of safety and Cabbie cared too much about them to let any of them get badly damaged on his watch. There was a muttering of apologies (which were mostly drowned out by Avalanche) and the guys resumed their competition with a bit more care until of course they got carried away again and Cabbie reminded rein it in a bit.</p><p>Boys will be boys…and luckily when they were there were a couple of adults on base to ride herd on them to keep them from doing anything too stupid. Which of course gave the whole gaggle of them the freedom to find creative ways to create trouble.</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Y-Chromosome- <em>The Y-chromosome is the piece of genetic material that produces a male.</em><em> Bringing up someone’s Y-chromosome is often done if someone through common sense out the window in order to try to one-up someone in their peer group. </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you are an adult who has discovered that you need a chance to channel your inner smokejumper every once and a while but needs some help getting to that goal, may I suggest the Escape Adulthood Society. It is an organization dedicated to the art of defeating adultitis and encouraging whimsy...and it is something the smokejumpers would totally rock at.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Z is for Zombie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Drip was a zombie and Dynamite had her work cut out for her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was nearly impossible to tell the color of the little skid steer, it was too streaked in oil and caked in dried mud. It moved across the landscape in an unsettling series of stuttering starts and lurching stops. When the vehicle finally rolled out of the forest and into the open sprawl of the meadow it slowly allowed its eyes to drift across the landscape. Then, the vehicle opened its mouth.</p><p>“I vant to suck your brains!”</p><p><em>“Drip.” </em>The sigh in Dynamites voice as she made her way back up the trail was so thick with annoyance one could practically cut it with Blackout’s blade.</p><p>“Vwat?” The skid steer did at least have enough common sense to look a little bit sheepish…but he wasn’t willing to completely break character.</p><p>“Drip, it is ‘I want to eat your brains’ and ditch the fake accent, you are a zombie not a vampire.”</p><p>“On right…” Drip cleared his throat. “I want to eat your brains!”</p><p>“Much better.” Dynamite was clearly trying not to roll her eyes, but also recognize that any attempts to dampen the smokejumpers enthusiasm would be misplaced. “Now hurry up or we are all going to be late to the park’s annual mock disaster drill.”</p><p>Drip did not have to be told twice. Though after he got distracted a few more times on his way to the lodge, Dynamite assigned Avalanche to bring up the end group just to make sure that they didn’t miss place Drip along the way. After all, the last thing they needed was for him to ‘practice’ his zombie technique and scare the oil out of some poor visitor.</p><hr/><p><strong>Term</strong>- Zombies- <em>Though they are fictional, zombies have played a surprisingly important part in emergency response training. That is because zombies allow organizations like FEMA, the CDC, and WHO to run large scale emergency response trainings simulating sensitive problems without cultural backlash. What to have a conversation about riot management in the aftermath of an earthquake? Run an exercise with a hoard of volunteer zombies. Want to teach kids about the importance of having an emergency plan? Have them discuss zombie preparedness as a class. Trying to model how a community might take on a pandemic? You guest it, zombies. So, next time you see a local health department or fire department calling for volunteer zombies to help out with an exercise you now know to volunteer. Because while you will have a fun day in make-up, you will also be helping your community be more resilient against disaster!</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, we have come to the end of another Planes Advent Calendar and I hope this last chapter ended things on a happy note. But you are most likely reading this author's note because you want to learn the topic that won. Between Archive of Our Own and Fanfiction. net, we had a lot of folks voice their opinion of what they wanted to reach next year. The final tallies were B is for Burnout=3, F is for Forestry=5, H is for Helicopter=9, P is for Prevention=5, and R is for Racer=6, which means H is for Helicopter is the winning theme. If you all have any prompts suggests for H is for Helicopter I would love to hear them. </p><p>Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope you will join me in 2021 for next year's Planes Advent Calendar.</p>
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